past and future
by bloodyshadow1
Summary: a couple of one shots for the Pearlnet bomb, some are interlocking some are just on their own. Not much to say really but I hope you read and review
1. Jungle Trek

Part 1 of a ? long story for the Pearlnet Bomb day 1 sort of a mix between vacation and Homeworld. I hope you enjoy reading, it isn't my best effort since I'm kind of out of practice, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

They had spent hours trudging through the dense earth forest in silence trying to find a clearing or something to place a temple. It wasn't uncomfortable exactly for the pearl, she was proud that Rose had selected her for such an important mission, but she was unsure of how to act around the fusion. Even though she had been good friends with Sapphire since they first arrieved on earth she had only met the fusion less than a week ago and they were already going on missions together. To make matters worse Pearl was still agonizing over the first impression she had made on the fusion, which only made things more awkward in her eyes.

Garnet was something unique to her and to most of their kind, fusion was seen as something dirty and inappropriate on Homeworld, only for the direst of circumstances during battle. Even then the gems who did the fusing were looked down upon for being so weak that they needed to fuse or be broken. That was an outdated ideal though for Rose's refugee turned rebels, they had all fused at one point or another for battle or for love, Pearl herself had led a battle as Rainbow Quartz and it had felt more amazing than the former servant could describe.

Still, the idea of Garnet unnerved Pearl and many others on their side. Not that the stoic gem was unkind if quiet, but she represented something that very few were willing to even talk about. Pearl loved being Rainbow Quartz or Coral, and she loved Rose to the point of worship, but still, to be her forever, to lose herself in what she and Rose created… she wasn't sure if she could ever do that, not even with Rose. It didn't help that Garnet was silent most of their trudge, maybe it was because she had nothing to say, or maybe it was because Ruby and Sapphire had too much to say to each other, but either way Pearl found the quite unnerving.

The earth jungle, filled with all their animals of all varieties, the ones with their claws and teeth, Pearl wasn't afraid of them. They ate meat after all, not decent crystalline beings, which Pearl was thankful for, not to mention gems don't smell like meat creatures, another thing that she was thankful for. Even if they did though, while she might not be as big as Rose or as powerful as Garnet or Tiger's Eye, Pearl was still a gem. Even if she couldn't summon a weapon from her real body she was stronger than most predators on this planet and her swords compensated for those she couldn't overpower.

No, the beasts themselves didn't frighten Pearl, but the noises they made did. Every snapped branch made her glance at the sound's origin, every growl made Pearl put her hand on the hilt of one of her swords. So to drown out the jungle's noise Pearl devolved into her nervous habit of talking out loud to drown it out.

At first she tried to just talk about things like the weather, future battles, if the area was really where they wanted to have a base to strategically retreat to if they had too. But Garnet remained silent, giving a grunt or nod to show she was aware that Pearl was talking. So Pearl decided to switch tactics and instead of trying to make conversation outloud she decided to complain, about the sounds the beasts made, about the wet heat of the jungle, about the bugs that while they didn't bite gems, they still buzzed annoyingly in their ears, the plants that seemed to go out of their way to trip her, it gave her a lot of material. "I mean I know that it's beautiful from a distance, but really what planet needs this much green organic life-."

"Pearl!" This went on for about an hour until Garnet was fed up, the fusion managed to calm herself down before she poofed the pearl to get some quiet, "P-perhaps we could talk about something else other than what is wrong with the area that might be our bugout base?"

"Oh so you're talking to me now," Pearl asked with a slight grin. "I hoped rambling would work," noticing the confusion on the fusion's face Pearl explained. "Sometimes Sapphire would get wrapped up in her own head and be quiet for days since she would over use her future vision to look ahead to the conversations she'd already have. At least she would answer me sometimes though with more than grunts," Pearl said dancing around Garnet like an elf. "It bothered me when she did that so I decided that I would bother her by complaining nonstop until she stated to actually talk to me. Or I would tease her about her crush on Ruby if she was really quiet, that would get her throwing stuff at me and shouting," Pearl said grinning with nostalgia.

"I suppose that we have been a bit quiet," Garnet admitted with her cheeks coloring a bit, "we are still new at this whole fusion thing," she said looking at her hands, unused to seeing two gems on her hands, even if they had been there since her creation. "Ruby and Sapphire's relationship is also new to them so they like talking to each other and when they are me they don't have to speak aloud. So they would like to apologize for their rudeness and Sapphire would like for me to give you this," she said and before Pearl could understand what the fusion had said Garnet pushed her.

One of Garnet's hands could have covered most Pearl's whole chest, being shoved with both of them sent the smaller gem flying into a tree. "Are you alright Pearl" Garnet asked realizing how far she threw the smaller gem. "I'm sorry I don't really know my own strength when I'm Garnet," she said brushing Pearl off.

"It's quite alright Garnet, I was asking for it. What's a little rough housing between friends… we are friends, aren't we?" Pearl asked pretty cautiously.

Garnet could only stare at the pearl and thought about her question, because the truth was she knew as little as Pearl did. There hadn't ever been a fusion born from the choice Ruby and Sapphire made in the history of gemkind, everything about her existence was new not just to her but to the world. Pearl had been good friends with Sapphire, and she had been friendly acquaintances with Ruby, but while Garnet was Ruby and Sapphire at the same time she wasn't. Every memory she had of the former servant gem was second hand, like Pearl was a character in a story rather than someone she knew.

"I-I do not know," Garnet managed to say even though both Ruby and Sapphire were urging her to say yes. Honesty is the best policy for something like this, "Ruby like you and Sapphire adored you, but I don't know you as Pearl, not as Garnet. And to be honest, between how we first met, your attempts to get me to talk we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot." Seeing the broken look bloom on the smaller gem's face though Garnet moved her hand to gently cup the pearl's face. It was something that surprised both of her halves since it was another move that was pure Garnet, "but if it's okay with you, I would like to get to know you as me," she said softly.

Smiling, Pearl took Garnet's giant hands into her own and looked up at the amazoness gem, "I'd like that Garnet, I really would. No time like the present as the humans say, after all we are alone out here," she said getting back on the direction of the trail they were blazing, her adventurer's spirit burning.

For a while the two of them made small talk and asked questions to get to know each other better, it helped make the jungle less startling. Everything was going well until a blast of images that she had never seen before shot through Garnet's mind. Five homeworld gems, a fight, tears running down Pearl's face, and then they were gone. "Look Garnet there's a clearing up ahead," Pearl said a little ahead of her new friend, not noticing Garnet falling behind and clutching her forehead.

"Pearl wait," Garnet shouted more out of instinct than knowledge. Before Garnet's words could reach the smaller gem she froze at the edge of the clearing, the five homeworld gems Garnet saw in her vision were standing there equally shocked as the two of them were.

End of part 1


	2. This is Garnet

For Pearlnet Bomb day 3 Introductions. It's kind of part 1 for Past and Future which is what this is called on Fanfiction and Archives of our own, they reference each other but I don't think it's necessary to read either to enjoy the other. Just a warning, I know some people have this headcanon about Rose being evil or something, I do not. I do have it wrapped in my head that she is a complete and total dork, kind of like Steven, so I tried to get that across here, not sure if I succeed, but you can always tell me what you think.

Garnet could still remember the first time she had met Pearl, or when the pearl had met her. The fusion looked back on it with amusement while the pearl looked back at their first days together with embarrassment. It had been during the early years of the war, during a time they could look back on with fondness rather than dread. Garnet had actually been aware of Pearl for quite some time actually, at least her parts had.

Ruby and Sapphire had been part of Rose's original migration to earth along with Pearl. Ruby was an acquaintance more than a friend, but Sapphire had counted the former servant caste gem as a friend. Most of Rose's other companions who were gems of status and strength who had decided to leave Homeworld's harsh laws under the Diamond's rule. Even Ruby had been something of a marvel on Homeworld due to her fighting prowess and toughness being far beyond her size or norm for her race. Sapphire and Pearl though of them were different, sort of outcasts amongst Rose's champions, Pearl being a defective servant enamored with a goddess far beyond her reach while Sapphire was a mutant seer discarded by her caste.

The two of them found comfort and comradery on the strange new world when it couldn't be found anywhere else. Rose was as always full of love and respect even for the lowest gem, but she was always so busy with their new planet; building temples and the like for their species to be housed in or meeting with the native race of people so they didn't disturb the natural order of the planet more than they already have. And while many of the others in Rose's companions treated the two of them with a distant respect there were a few among them who left Homeworld to escape the Diamond's rule, not because they thought the Diamonds were wrong. They treated the lower caste gems like Pearl and the 'freaks' like Sapphire as if they were inferior, servants at best and disposable tools at worst. It was Pearl who first told Sapphire to talk to Ruby which led to the two of them falling in love. Just as it was Sapphire who convinced Pearl to speak up when they designed the new earth temples, which led to Pearl becoming Rose's right hand.

Their lives started to move forward, faster and faster as they traveled around the Earth establishing temples and engaging with the locals. Sapphire and Pearl still communicated with wailing stones, but it would be years, decades even before the two friends would see each other again. In fact it would be after Garnet had been born in fact, after the war had started.

The early stages of the war with Homeworld were quite, so different from the savage carnage that would rage in a few years. It had started with a declaration from the Diamonds, 'We are going to bring the uncontrolled planet known as Earth under gem rule, do not resist and you may remain as you are, resist and you will all be shattered.' It was an 'offer' that Rose decided to accept, they had left Homeworld after all to escape the threat of being shattered there was no point in starting a war, at least that's what they thought until they found the Kindergarten.

When Rose saw what the Diamond's were doing to the earth, using it to create weapons out of their own kind, she begged them to stop. When the rulers of Homeworld refused to stop using the earth as a pile of untapped resources Rose declared war upon them. She gave everyone who arrived on earth with her years ago the chance to return to Homeworld of course, some did, but most didn't. For almost a hundred human years the war has raged, gems have been killed on both sides and the conflict has been more or less of a stalemate.

Today, Rose had called in two of her most trusted generals, Ruby and Sapphire to perform a special mission for her. It had been years since she had seen them, they were part of the original emigration from Homeworld and two of her dearest friends. It wasn't that important of a mission but Rose just wanted to see the two of them again, and she knew Pearl who she would be sending with the two of them missed them as well, especially Sapphire. She received a rather strange communication from them at the Geode, saying "I will be coming to the beach temple by warp pad soon for the mission." The 'I' worried her, but Rose shrugged and left it alone, she hoped that Ruby and Sapphire didn't have a fight, they were so cute together it would be horrible if they split up. Regardless Rose messaged Pearl by wailing stone to ask her to come to her room for a mission.

"Hello Rose," a voice rang out into the command center, it was powerful and smooth, but unfamiliar making Rose jump. There were few gems at the beach temple since it was still being finished, but even if it wasn't Rose did not know the gem that walked into her temple. Stumbling back and drawing her shield, "Who are you," the rebel leader. Drawing her sword much smoother Rose pointed it at the stranger, "and what are you doing in my temple?" Rose knew ever gem that was a member of her rebels and the stranger was not one of them, she did seem familiar though. She was a tall gem, almost as tall as Rose herself with her hair and wearing a form of shaded lenses to cover her eyes. Rose could feel the strength emanating within her and lowered her sword since it didn't feel like an aggressive power. Her gem wasn't showing so Rose couldn't tell what she was, but in all her years she had never seen a gem that felt like this.

"I am here because I was asked to come Rose," the strange gem said with a smile. It wasn't the cruel sneer of a Homeworld gem though, it was warm and sincere, like a friend would give.

Tilting her head slightly in confusion could only muster a, "Wha?"

"As for who I am," the stranger continued as if the powerful leader of the earth rebels wasn't staring at her like a confused dog, "I am Garnet. Or maybe it's clearer to say …" she said taking off her shades to reveal all three of her eyes and placing her hands palms up on the war room table, "we are Garnet," she said showing off Ruby and Sapphire's gems on her palms.

For a moment Rose could only stare, but then she threw her hands up in excitement and her eyes turned into stars, a sure sign that she was excited. Before Garnet could say anything Rose bounded over the large table and tackled the fusion in a hug, "this is amazing, I'm so happy for you, you two… all of you," Rose said not sure of what pronoun to use. "When did this happen? Did the two of you have to fight something on your way here? Why are you still fused? I mean I'm happy for you all, but was it just to scare me," Rose asked excitedly.

Fusion was a rare thing even among the rebels, Homeworld had all but outlawed the ancient act of love unique to gem kind. Through their propaganda they claimed it was on something the weak and perverse indulge in to get stronger and fulfill dirty urges that should have been erased from the gem psyche. It wasn't though, fusion was a beautiful act, yes it made two gems stronger than they were separately, but that was like talking about a single color in a beautiful painting instead of looking at each line and shade and stroke. Fusion was, is an act of love, one Rose encouraged her troops to partake, even if she wasn't really one to feel love.

"We formed Garnet about a year ago, the Geodes seen a lot of heavy fighting since the war stared and while we were on the battlefield we were in trouble. We were probably going to lose so we decided we wanted to die together if we could since nothing was working, no one was close enough to help, and we didn't have time to dance to fuse as a last resort. So we just held each other waiting for the end and our bodies just started to glow without trying and we became, well me," Garnet said excitedly. "I don't know why it happened, but I feel so right being me, it's not just that I feel more powerful either," she tried to explain. "Ruby and Sapphire spent days together holding hands, kissing, other things," Garnet said blushing, "but even though all of it felt wonderful, it didn't feel as… full as being Garnet did. So Ruby and Sapphire decided that they wanted to be me, forever if they could," Garnet said quietly.

Rose could tell that there was more to the story, but given how uncomfortable Garnet looked now that her secret was out she decided not to pry. Instead she just pulled the fusion into another hug, "congratulations you two, three," Rose was confused with numbers and stuff too, "I can already tell Garnet, you're going to be something great. Oh I was going to send the two of you on a mission with Pearl," and then their leader broke out into a grin. "Let's not tell her who you are and see if she figures it out," she said excitedly.

"Rose it's ideas like that that made me join your rebellion in the first place," Garnet asked with a matching grin, Sapphire loved messing with Pearl, even after all these years.

"Okay, you stand over here Rose said moving Garnet over to where she came in, " and I'll be over here," Rose said climbing over the table even though she could easily walked around, but Ruby and Sapphire had long since stopped questioning their leader's peculiarities.

Lo and behold Pearl strolled into the war room, two swords strapped to her waist and one tied to her back, ready for any mission her leader/object of respect, love, and lust, had for her. "Greetings my lady, I am ready for whatever you require of me," she said with a graceful bow not noticing Rose wasn't the only one in the room. It was only when she rose (pun intentional) Pearl noticed there was another gem in the room and when she did she could only stare at Garnet.

"Pearl," Rose said walking over to Garnet, she was doing a terrible job disguising her attempt to have fun at Pearl's expense. "This is Garnet," she said while giggling between words, and Garnet wondered how she ever became the leader of a rebellion. "The two of you are going to go on a mission together. I hope you'll be great friends," Rose said barely being able to stop herself from doubling over.

"A pleasure, Pearl was it," Garnet said keeping her face blank even though she thought it was funny, not as funny as Rose did apparently but still funny. She extended her hand in greetings.

Pearl's gaze fell to the floor but walked forward and took the hand even if she couldn't meet either of their gazes. Their hands were so different; Garnet noticed Pearl's was so small compared her own and Pearl could feel how strong they were while tracing the gem on Garnet's palm. Rose was finally able to stop laughing explained the mission to them and they two of them listened, but throughout the briefing Pearl couldn't help steal glances at the strange new gem. "Did you get all that you too," Rose asked finishing up her briefing, "it shouldn't be dangerous but I want the two of you to be careful."

Garnet gave a cool nod while Pearl bowed again and said, "yes Rose, I- we won't fail you," she said finally looking up for more than a few seconds. The two of them left for the warp pad walking in silence and Garnet was worried, she hadn't seen Pearl act this way ever, maybe the smaller gem had changed over the years. "Garnet," the smaller gem said when they were alone in the hallway finally speaking up, "I can already tell that you're strong, far stronger than I am, I won't deny that. I also know you're the only gem I've ever seen as beautiful as Rose, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give her up so easily," Pearl declared, "I might not be a gem who was made for fighting, but I won't hold you back so let's go explore that jungle," she said walking away from the stunned Garnet.

But Garnet managed to regain herself quickly and her two halves wanted to keep playing with Pearl. There was a quick flash of light forcing Pearl to turn around to see Ruby and Sapphire making poses at her to her shock, "really Pearl, as beautiful as Rose," Sapphire said giving her hips an extra wiggle. "That's the highest compliment I've ever heard you pay someone else, you're going to make me blush."

"S-Sapphire," Pearl managed to squeak out, "Ruby? Where did the two of you come from," she demanded, mortified that they heard her, where was Garnet?

"It's okay Pearl," Ruby said flexing her arm, "we are pretty damn good looking, I can't blame you," she said giving her muscle a quick kiss. "Come on babe," she said pulling her lover forward towards Pearl. They only let go to go around Pearl who was shocked and reconnected once they past her, without dancing they fused into Garnet.

"Don't worry Pearl," Garnet said turning around to face the pearl while adjusting her shades, "I think you're pretty cute too," Garnet said before moving on. Pearl could only groan as she followed the fusion to the warp pad, the mission wasn't starting off well for her.


	3. Many Firsts

Okay just a warning, I sort of got confused with the order of the Pearlnet bomb prompts and thought that for today was Angst/Battle for a prompt until I realized that angst was Tuesday's prompt while battle was todays. So this may come off a bit angsty, still I hope that you like it.

It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission to scout a location previously thought untouched by the war to find a base to retreat to if it became a necessity. It was a precaution and there wasn't supposed to be any real danger, but fate really cared about endangering the Homeworld rebels.

The spear felt so wrong in her hands, it was the first time she had summoned her weapon, the long, blue, bladed spear should have been one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. Now it just looked ugly, twisted and it felt heavy in her thin arms. It was the first time Pearl had been on a battlefield without Rose, it was the first time she had been on a mission with only one other gem, Garnet, and with tears rolling down her face… she noted it was the first time she had ever shattered another gem before.

Even as a pearl, one of the servant caste, Pearl had gathered some experience fighting once Rose started her rebellion. She had fought dozens of battles; she had forced many foes to retreat into their gems and had been forced to retreat into her own gem, the latter more than the former she was ashamed to admit, but she was no stranger to the battlefield anymore. Still, even though she knew they were fighting for their lives, Pearl hadn't killed another gem until moments ago. It had started out as a simple recon mission to find a location suitable for a retreat if it became necessary. Which is why, Rose sent them into a jungle that was supposed to be uncharted and untouched by gemkind. Unfortunately it turned out that it the recon mission was one of the few times Rose was wrong and there were Homeworld gems in the jungle, five of them, each wearing the Diamond's emblem on their person.

Out of the Homeworlders, two of them were as large as Garnet, one was a dull green prasiolite the other a bright yellow maybe a citrine. There were also two smaller ones about Pearl's size but had thicker, more warrior like builds, an orange carnelian and a red Agate. The fifth was the smallest, but frightened Pearl the most, it was a hematite that had thin limbs and was hunched over like it was going to lunge any second. It was the small gem's eyes though that bothered Pearl the most, it reminded her of the earth beasts feral and hungry, the eyes of a gem that had never seen Homeworld before.

The Kindergarten gem was the first to get over the shock, she had been born to fight after all, and launched herself at Pearl. The wild eyes scared her far more than the other gems' freezing her in place, luckily for her Garnet was made of stronger stuff. Pearl only saw a flash of red light out of the corner of her eye before Garnet flew past her. With her fists armored up Garnet slammed the hematite into the ground with such force that a shockwave ran out of the impact knocking the other homeworlders to the ground before they could form their weapons.

The hematite was poofed instantly due to the force of the blow and Pearl felt a pang of pity, it wasn't like the feral gem chose to be created or to be a weapon. Now it was just a small rainbow pyramid in a crater, maybe once the war was over they could rehabilitate the Kindergarten gems, but for now she had to focus on surviving this fight. Garnet had already thrown herself at the rest of their opponents who were regrouping. The fusion backhanded the agate away from her companions with Sapphire's fist and uppercutting the prasiolite with Ruby's.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity Pearl quickly dashed over to where the red agate fell and ruthlessly cut off her head. The Homeworlder retreated back into the small red circle that had formerly been on her shoulder blade and the former servant ran back to the battle without a second look. The Kindergarten gem might not have chosen her lot in life but those loyal to the Diamonds did, she had run out mercy many years and friends ago.

Garnet was doing her best to fend off the other three gems though the prasiolite hadn't risen yet, the odds still weren't in their favor. So Pearl moved to finish off the larger gem before she could help the others and stabbed her sword into the gem's chest. It sunk in an inch or two but stopped before it could deal a fatal wound. Maybe the other gem was just too big or her sword was too small but the pain seemed to wake Prasiolite up from the blow Garnet dealt her.

Before Pearl could pull her blade out though Prasiolite grabbed the hilt of her sword and hand with one of her own and stood up breaking the weapon's blade in the process. "What's this, a pearl? A servant is playing warrior," the Homeworld gem asked making Pearl dangle now. "Oh I am going to tear Red Agate a new one for being dusted by a pearl," the hulking gem laughed. Then she noticed the odd shape of Pearl's pearl, "and a defect at that, this is just too funny," she bellowed as she squeezed harder.

If she was human Pearl's wrist would be broken and she would be screaming, but she was a gem so it hurt, but she was able to think through the pain. The benefit to fighting as a pearl was that no one expected her to be fighting at all which led to them constantly underestimating her. They expected her to cower and be servile once they caught her, but Pearl was no one's servant, not anymore. No, she was a knight. Drawing her other sword while Prasiolite was mocking her, Pearl drove her new blade right into the larger gem's eye making her howl in pain and letting Pearl drop. "You bitch," the Homeworld gem roared clutching her eye, "you'll pay for that you defective piece of garbage. I'll crack your gem for weeks before I kill you for that."

With Prasiolite towering over her and grabbing for her Pearl tried to crawl back, but she didn't have to when the carnelian came flying through the air and collided with the larger gem knocking them both over. "You alright Pearl," Garnet said haling the smaller gem up with ease after being pushed towards her by the citrine's blow.

"Yeah, just a bit surprised that Prasiolite didn't retreat back into her gem. Though I shouldn't be surprised, my arms aren't really built for strength like yours," Pearl said comparing her slim arms to Garnet's treelike appendages.

"I might be stronger than you but there are things you can do that I can Pearl. I'm sure we can compare our strengths and weaknesses later, but now's not the time," Garnet said adjusting her glasses that were knocked askew in the scuffle. "Besides, you might have made this easier for me to take out Prasiolite if you can distract the other two for a little bit I can take her out, can you?"

"Yeah I think I can," Pearl said drawing her third sword with a determined look in her eye.

"Good," Garnet said with a smile before turning to dodge Carnelian who had summoned a spear and attempted to skew her. She had dodged by the slimmest margin before driving her elbow into the smaller gem making her stumble clumsily. "Now get to it, I'm counting on you," she said before charging at Prasiolite.

Pearl couldn't help but feel a bit warm from Garnet's faith in her abilities, she turned to face the two gems. "What are you supposed to do, you're just a pearl," Citrine demanded spitting on the ground.

"Yeah that other one might be a bit of a problem for a freak, but just because you're a freak too doesn't mean you're anything more than a pearl," the Carnelian mocked.

Their insults stung worse than she would like to admit, but Pearl just brushed them off. Maybe she didn't care about her own value, but for now she was a pearl in the service of Rose Quartz, the greatest gem alive, that made her worth more than a hundred of each of them. "I don't know," Pearl said and her gem started to glow, "I might have some tricks up my gem. I only have to ask," she said raising her sword in defiance, "can the two of you survive the humiliation of being beaten by a lone defective pearl?" She wasn't really that cocky, but all she had to do was hold them off until Garnet finished off Prasiolite, not beat them.

The carnelian charged forward ready to punish the foolish servant who thought herself above her station. Her technique was awful for one so sure of herself, but Pearl wasn't taking any chances. She tossed away one of her swords to behind her attacker drawing the eyes of both her opponents a fatal mistake for the charging gem. Pearl shot a cone of light to where her sword would land and the light formed a replica of her which caught the sword and attacked the surprised carnelian. The Homeworld gem was able to block it easily since the hologram's movements were clumsy and slow but it did leave her back open for the real Pearl to stab.

The Citrine looked shocked, not that she could be blamed, they had started with five warriors from Homeworld sent to put down the rebels and three of their number had fallen to two of them. Two of them to a pearl no less, well she wasn't going to go out a loser like the others, she was at least going to take out this up jumped servant.

The yellow gem on Citrine's shoulder glowed and she pulled out a sword, it was Pearl's turn to have her eyes bulge. The yellow gem's 'sword' was larger than she was, probably heavier too, and she was coming straight at Pearl. The holo-Pearl tried to intercept the gem on a warpath but as she moved to block Citrine's sword her own was cleaved in half, it didn't even slow the weapon before it cut the hologram in half as well. When she saw that Pearl let out a wince but Citrine was still coming and she didn't have time to waste on a hologram, even if it did look like her.

Unlike the her companions Citrine wasn't going to take the servant caste member lightly and moved to finish off the pearl as quickly as possible. Pearl also noticed that unlike the carnelian Citrine was far more skilled with her weapon, she was probably the leader of the group. Pearl wouldn't have imagined a gem her size with a weapon that big could move as quickly as she did, but the Citrine proved her wrong. She had to dodge every blow since blocking would leave her no better off than Hologram-Pearl, but the Homeworlder's weapon was cutting it close while her inferior earth metal sword wasn't cutting Citrine at all.

Then as luck would have it Pearl tripped, over another jungle root like she had a thousand times during their trek to the clearing. She fell right onto her back and her sword skittered away, Pearl reached for her sword but Citrine stepped on her wrist before she could grab it. The homeworld gem was breathing heavily, "you're not bad," she admitted, "especially for a pearl. It's a shame you were born what you are, it's even more of a shame that you decided to side with the rebels. I wish I could spare you little pearl, but the Diamond's will is absolute," the massive gem said bringing her blade down on Pearl.

But before she could complete her swing her arm stopped, she was being grabbed by an armored fist. "No. It's. Not," a voice shouted and it was the last thing the Citrine would hear save for the sound of distant thunder as another mailed fist collided with her face.

"Glad I could make it on time," Garnet said breathing heavily as she helped Pearl up.

"I'm glad you could too, though I wish you weren't getting so much practice saving me," Pearl said accepting Garnet's back to normal hands.

"It's cool, next time you can save me," Garnet said with a cheeky grin that made both of them laugh. It also made them lower their guard; Pearl didn't even see the attacking gem until Hematite was a few feet away already lunging at Garnet's exposed back. Moving purely on instinct and only thinking that she wanted to protect Garnet since she couldn't protect herself. She could feel her gem glow and turn warm, it felt different than it ever had before and Pearl's hands flew to it and pulled out a weapon. It felt so right in her hands before Pearl could even see it and she stabbed it into Hematite's throat, right where its gem rested. Pearl gasped in horror as the world slowed down and Hematite was thrown backwards, its eyes wide with wonder and… gratitude as sick as it sounded.

Pearl could only stare in horror as she watched the Kindergarten gem slowly break down the crack on her gem growing wider by the second before shattering into a thousand pieces. She felt sick collapsing as tears rolled down her face and her spear rolled out of her hands. "What have I done," she asked more aloud than anyone.

"It will be okay Pearl," Garnet said crouching over the remains of the hematite bubbling all the shards she could find. She had felt something similar the first time she had shattered a gem, all three times had felt horrible, but time and war hadn't allowed her to mourn her enemies for long.

"I'm sorry," Pearl said desperately trying to wipe her tears away and stand up, but not managing to do both, "I know she was our enemy and that gems die in war, but- but I never thought it would feel this horrible. I can't help being weak-," she was cut off though as Garnet wrapped her arms around the smaller gem's lithe frame.

"Don't ever apologize for caring Pearl, not for your friends and not for your enemies," Garnet whispered softly as Pearl broke down sobbing into the larger gem's chest. "Even if we're on opposite sides of the war we're all still gems, it's okay to care."

"I-I never," Pearl couldn't even get the words out they felt like bile in her mouth.

"I put that together," Garnet said trying to joke but it fell flat. "You should cry if you feel like crying Pearl, I felt like doing the same the first time I killed another gem, but there was still fighting going on. Now, I've killed so many I can't even cry if I wanted to."

"Does it ever get easier," Pearl asked with wild optimism, her voice almost begging Garnet to tell her what she wanted to hear.

"No Pearl it doesn't," Garnet told her straight, "you might not cry after breaking a few more, but it doesn't get any easier. You'll still hate yourself each and every time you're forced to do it, but you know what Pearl," she asked cupping the pearl's chin and bringing her up so she was looking into Pearl's eyes. "I'm glad each time I kill another gem that I still feel as awful as I did the first time. Because I don't want to be like one of the Diamond's shock troopers who kill without digression. I won't ever hesitate to kill another gem if I have to Pearl, but the pain, the miserable feelings that I get when I do, I'm glad I still have them because it means I'm still me and I can still be the me I want to be. Now come on," Garnet said wiping the last few tears out of Pearls eyes, "let's get you home."

"Alright," Pearl said weakly, but better, still clinging to Garnet's arm, "Garnet."

"Yes Pearl," Garnet said not wanting to rattle her friend any more than she already was.

"Can-can we maybe walk like this, only for a little bit," Pearl practically begged.

"Yes Pearl," Garnet said and kissed her on the gem surprising all four of them, "you can hold on to me every time you need to," she promised as they started their long journey back to the warp pad.


	4. Eternity of Kisses

So this is the real final part of my Pearlnet Bomb submission and the final part of Past and Future. It is for the fifth day Kiss, it's a bit shorter than the others, but I hope you like it all the same. Please read, review, and reblog if you like it.

The first time Garnet had kissed Pearl was right after Pearl had killed her first gem and was distraught. It was just a friendly, not entirely; platonic kiss on the gem to show the pearl that Garnet was there for her.

The first time Pearl kissed Garnet was accidental when they first started to try fusing. They tried dozens of different dances, most of them worked with other gems or other gems swore it always worked when they fused. They even tried to dance like they always did but it didn't work. It was only when they came up with a whole new routine, one that was different from the others they tried. There was a lot of grasping and hugging, mostly of one's own body and getting close to one another before the actually fusion took place. The last move was what really set them apart though from other fusion dancers, when Garnet would dip Pearl. For most fusions that would be the end of the dance and beginning of the fusion, but Garnet and Pearl liked the dance too much to end it just because. So instead of ending Garnet threw Pearl up into the air as if she weighed nothing at all and when she came down Garnet would catch her and their bodies would come together.

In theory everything worked out and the first time they did it, everything was working perfectly, there were a few missed steps here or there, but they could both feel it working. Then Garnet threw Pearl up into the sky and Pearl felt amazing somehow she knew she was safe, she knew that Garnet wouldn't let her be hurt in the fall. She could see Garnet below her, the smile on her face said that she felt as amazing as Pearl did without even fusing. It caused a warm feeling to blossom in her chest, it was one that she was well aware of, she felt it every Rose walked by. 'Rose wasn't anywhere close to us though, I mean she wouldn't come to see us practice fusing,' Pearl wondered. But as she got closer to the ground she couldn't take her eyes off Garnet, and someone at that moment Garnet did what would have once been believed the impossible and made Pearl stop thinking about Rose. One thing led to another, Garnet was looking up at Pearl, Pearl was falling down to her and they collided just like they were supposed… only their bodies were supposed to collide, not their lips. It had felt amazing for the first few seconds then they realized what they were while they formed Sardonyx.

They had done it, they had fused and like the kiss it felt amazing to be Sardonyx, but both of them had been so embarrassed about the kiss that they split apart almost instantly. Both of them decided that it was clear that they could form Sardonyx if it was necessary and spent the next few days embarrassed about the whole incident away from each other.

The third time they kissed was after Steven was born, they didn't remember who kissed who, they just remembered that they needed someone to hold on to. Amethyst had flown away to cry when it happened and Rose, well she was the reason they were all crying. It was for one night only they both promised, it was a night fueled by desire and pain as they tried to forget about who they lost, no love. Their kisses and touches were fire and there was a rightness to what they did, but that rightness only made them feel guiltier after losing Rose. When they returned to the main room of the temple of they agreed to pretend as if the night never happened even though they knew there was more to what they started.

The fourth time they kissed was a matter of necessity, trapped in the ancient gem warship because of Pearl. They were running out of room when Pearl bared her soul to the fusion on her weakness, why she was so desperate to find some rightness within her that she tricked Garnet into forming Sardonyx once more. The fusion heard the former servant's plea, and though her face remained stoic her soul ached to take the Pearl in her arms. Even when she was her angriest with the small gem, even when her actions forced Ruby and Sapphire to separate, Garnet couldn't bring herself to hate Pearl, no matter how much her actions had hurt. Garnet could feel the bond they formed all those years ago tug at her, making her tell the so called defect of the strength Pearl gave her and how she needed to be strong for herself. And then the walls started to close in again and Garnet admitted that there was only one way out of the deathtrap. To her surprise and pride Pearl didn't agree right away, instead making sure that Garnet was okay with.

Garnet only nodded and their gems began to glow, there wasn't any room to dance or even bow as was customary, but not all gems needed to dance to fuse like Ruby and Sapphire. To do so Garnet kissed the glowing gem on Pearl's forehead while Pearl kissed the gems on Garnet's palms. And the rightness was back when they burst from the confines of the trap, they separated again quickly, though their relationship was healing it wasn't strong enough to go into battle, not yet.

It would be though, the morning after, as the sun rose over the temple cliff Garnet met Pearl. No words were spoken at first, just some quiet sitting, then cuddling, then Garnet raised Pearls chin up and kissed her. No danger or accident, or necessity fueled this kiss, like Garnet herself it was made of love, and neither of them would have it any other way.


End file.
